Into the Unown Ch 100 & 100.5

Author's note:

One hundred chapters!!! In celebration of this milestone, we have an extra bonus release today!

Announcement:

I just reuploaded this story on Scribble Hub. So for those of you who have an account there, feel free to stop by and say hi. Because everything is looking quite barren at the moment. Link down below.

https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1407691/into-the-unown-pokemon-fanfiction-oc/

***

Chapter 100

Unsurprisingly, Collin was infinitely more familiar with Diglett’s Cave than Nina was. The man was even kind enough to point out a few side passages that were not included in her map.

According to him, he had been underground for the better part of a week at this point, saying that it was easier to get work done during the relatively drier weather of summer as compared to rainy autumn.

“Gotta warn you, this Golbat that I’m about to show you is a real prankster. Kept harassing me during the couple of days that I camped nearby. Had to wrap up early and move away cause I couldn’t take it anymore.”

The Pokemon that Collin described didn’t sound malicious, just a prankster like the man said. He told Nina stories about how he’d wake up with his shoes missing, only to find that it was hidden on top of some ledge on the wall. And when he was just about to fall to sleep, he’d be jolted wide awake again after hearing a loud screech from outside his tent.

The man would then spray Repel all over the camp to ward off the prankster, only to find that the Golbat had somehow managed to pour water all over his camp instead and soaked all of his stuff. After every prank, the Golbat would perch nearby, deliberately in sight, to cackle at the furious human and his indignant cursing.

It wasn’t exactly what Nina was looking for, but it was pretty in line with her desires. So she thanked the man and gladly followed along to where the Golbat was last spotted. Nina felt that she could work with the prankster. A Pokemon with a clear and distinct personality was much more preferable to a mindless drone that just did whatever she asked.

They ended up going back to Collin’s old campsite, The Golbat was nowhere to be seen since the species was mostly nocturnal. So the man asked if Nina was okay with camping here for the night.

“Yeah, I’m okay with that. Rather I’m sorry you have to put your work on hold for my sake,” she replied.

“Haha! It’s fine. I’m not in a rush. ‘Sides, I kind of do want to see you teach that jerk a lesson for me.” He said, with a somewhat vindictive look on his face.

Nina smiled and opted not to reply. She didn’t want to beat up any of her future companions if she could help it. But depending on how willful the Golbat was, she just might have to do that before she could even have a proper conversation with them.

Since it was still a long way to nighttime, Nina ended up volunteering herself to assist Collin in his work. Which mostly involved her helping to carry some of the man’s more cumbersome equipment in her own Silph Co Backpack, so that he could cut down on weight and move around a little faster. It really was a wonder how the guy managed to nurture such a pronounced belly with all the physical labor he was doing.

***

“Thanks Nina, I usually don’t have enough space to fit too many Ready Meals into my pack. So I typically save them for when I’m feeling really down in the dumps. A hot meal’s a luxury in a place like this.”

“No worries, I’ve still got plenty more where those came from. Think of it as my thanks for being my guide for today.”

Collin chuckled. “I should be the one thanking you. You have no idea how lonely it can get in these places sometimes. I mean sure, I have Dexter. But Pokemon company and human company’s different, you know.”

“Yeah, I get it. My Uncle Ali, who’s an explorer, says the same thing.” Nina nodded. “So what made you choose this line of work then, if it’s as hard as you make it out to be?”

Collin let out a melancholic smile and took a sip from his mug of hot soup. “It’s a long story, but basically my parents passed away in a mining incident. I know I complain a lot, but at the end of the day I don’t think I can imagine a different life for myself. It would just feel weird, I guess…”

“Ever thought about retiring? Can’t keep doing this forever.” Nina reckoned Collin was in his mid forties and it’s clear from all the grunting and cursing she heard during the afternoon tailing him that the man was beginning to lose steam.

Collin laughed at the idea of retirement. “Honestly, kid. Don’t really know. Maybe get a teaching job somewhere? I mean this life is all I know and all this cave exploration stuff is the only thing I’m good at. I reckon there might be some people out there that’d be willing to put up with my yapping.”

Nina chuckled. “I think that’s a great idea. I for one would have greatly appreciated some of the things you taught me today if it was done in school. Saves me the hassle of doing my own research and stumbling around on my own.”

They kept on chatting, mostly it was Collin regaling Nina about all the different places he’d been to over the course of his work. In particular, Nina was most intrigued by his experience with the Ruins of Alph. “I’ve only been there twice before, but that place gives off weird vibes every time,” he said.

“What do you mean?”

“So I’ve been to my fair share of ruins. And usually with these sorts of places, you can kind of tell what their original purpose was, y’know? Like a religious monument, a kitchen, a bathroom and all that — lots of those by the way, bathrooms. For whatever reason, the ancients really know how to build a loo that can last through the ages.”

Nina smiled and nodded, urging Collin to continue.

“But the Ruins of Alph… Nobody has any clue what it's for. I mean, it’s clearly manmade. You can tell from how each slab of stone is meticulously carved and stacked. Even the sigils on the walls, all spaced evenly and consistently shaped. But you know what the weirdest part was?”

Nina shook her head.

“There’s no Pokemon in there, none except for the Unown that is. Usually with these sorts of abandoned places, you’ll at least find a few squatters; Rattatas, Zubats… Y’know, the usual. But there’s nothing in there, no other signs of Pokemon life. Like they’re avoiding the place or sumthin’ ain’t that creepy?”

“What about the Unown then?” asked Nina. “What’s their deal?”

Collin shrugged. “No clue, they don’t eat, they don’t sleep and they don’t talk. They just… exist.” The man then told a story about how some crazy scientist tried to figure out the origins of the Unown by capturing half of the population in the Ruin of Alph. It caused quite the hubbub, but he did it anyway, just for the pursuit of knowledge.

“So he caught half the Unowns in the place. And you know what happened? The next day, he went in and did another census. The numbers just went back to normal like nothing ever happened. But all the Unowns he caught were still in their Balls. Not like they escaped or anythin’.

“So he released them back into the ruins, to see what happens. And guess what? The next day, those extra Unowns just disappeared. Poof! Gone just like that, no idea where. Not even the cameras caught anything cause electronics get all weird in that place. Makes them unreliable.”

According to Collin, that particular scientist was driven mad in the end. His mind was so consumed by the Unown mystery that it just broke him.

Nina tilted her head in consideration. “Has no one tried to decipher the writings on the wall? If they are indeed sigils or alphabets, then there has to be a logical system behind them right?” She asked.

Collin shook his head. “I’m no expert, but from what I heard, those writings on the wall change sporadically. No one’s been able to pin down anything sensible. So the running theory is that the Unown are the sigils on the wall come to life.”

Nina nodded. That hypothesis was pretty close to the truth. She once again renewed her vow to visit the Ruin of Alph in person sometime in the future.

After a bit more chatter they decided to call it a day and go to bed. So far, Golbat had yet to appear, but Collin assured her that it was only a matter of time. “That bastard likes to surprise you when you least expect it. Just make sure to keep any precious belongings in your tent.” He said, to which Nina nodded and wished the man a good night.

***

Nina was woken from her deep slumber by a loud commotion from outside her tent. Nairy was too big to sleep with her inside and Espy volunteered to keep her big Dragon baby company, so she was sleeping all by herself.

The girl rubbed at her tired eyes and checked the time before listlessly getting out of her tent to see what was going on. Only to see an enraged Nairy crying out at the ceiling and shooting sporadic shots of Dragon Pulse everywhere. His target appears to be the cackling Golbat that was zigzagging around the air while dodging the projectiles and occasionally sticking his tongue out to taunt the Dragon.

Nina frowned at the sight. “Espy, what’s going on?” She asked, to which the Psychic responded by beaming a bunch of images into her head.

Apparently, Nairy had been sound asleep when little pebbles began dropping on his head. At first he thought it was just the rocky ceiling above them, so he simply relocated to a different spot. Only for the exact same thing to happen again when he fell asleep the second time. 

Nairy looked up to see if there was anything above, but saw nothing but darkness. So he paid it no mind and tried to go back to sleep again. Only for the same phenomenon to reoccur. And after another relocation and another interrupted sleep, the Dragonair finally snapped and let out an enraged Dragon Breath into the air, revealing the existence of the mischievous Golbat messing with him.

“What in Distortion is going on out here!” exclaimed Collin, who had finally woken up and crawled out of his tent.

Nina sighed and reassured the older man before calling out to Nairy. “Nairy, stop. Please? C’mere and lemme have a good look at you?” She gestured.

The Dragonair did as he was told and stopped his tantrum, then he looked at his partner and rushed towards the girl with tear filled eyes, crying and whining all the while.

Nina let out a wry smile, pulling the pouty Dragon into her embrace while gently caressing the Pokemon. “There, there… You’re alright. It’s just a small boo boo.” Nina kissed her partner's forehead where the rocks impacted and nuzzled against him. “Come on now, you’re a big strong Dragon. No need to be upset over a few rocks.”

Nairy was just being overly dramatic and Nina knew it. Her Dragonair could take a full on Rock Tomb to the face, as if he’d be hurt by some rocks the size of a pebble. But he wanted to be spoiled and babied, so Nina willingly obliged.

Though for whatever reason, Nina’s show of affection with Nairy seemed to have upset the Golbat somehow as it let out an annoyed screech and swooped in to interrupt them. But just as it was about to strike, the Golbat was intercepted by a purple Psychic aura that held it in place.

Nina let go of Nairy and looked over to the panicking Golbat who was frozen in mid air, and decided that some punishment was warranted for all the mean-spirited pranks it had pulled so far.

“Espy, spin Golbat around for a little bit. But make sure not to hurt them.”

Having perfectly read Nina’s intent, Espy grinned and spun her target around like a top in mid air, only stopping when the Golbat’s eyes were all swirly from dizziness before letting go of her Psychic hold.

Golbat wobbled around in the air for a bit as the bat Pokemon tried to regain its bearings, only to slowly drift down to the ground and fall on its back.

Nina walked over to the side of the incapacitated Golbat and sat down cross legged on the floor before picking the Pokemon up into her arms and gently caressing its backs to soothe the dizziness.

About a minute later, Golbat got its bearings back and finally recognized the strange girl that was holding onto it. The Golbat panicked and tried to flap their wings to get away, but Nina simply held it down and tried to reassure the bat Pokemon with a gentle tone.

“Hey, hey… You’re alright, I’m not gonna hurt you. Settle down, see I’ve got Berries. You like Berries right?” At the mention of Berries, Golbat seemed to calm down a little as Nina reached into her Berry pouch to procure some treats for the wary Pokemon.

The moment that the Berries were presented in front of him, the Golbat unceremoniously chowed down, splashing Berry juices all over Nina. But the girl simply beared with it and gently caressed Golbat’s back to slow him down.

“No need to rush, there’s plenty more where that came from.”

“Kukuku…” The Golbat cackled as it looked up towards Nina with intelligent eyes, as if trying to take her in for the very first time.

“Say, are you a boy or a girl? I can’t really tell.”

But instead of picking a hand, Golbat just snorted and let out another “Kukuku…” A sign of rudeness that greatly irked Espy as she glared at the bat Pokemon with glowing eyes.

That act of intimidation seemed to have cowed Golbat as he shuddered in fear and bent his wing to touch Nina’s left hand, indicating to her that he was male.

Nina chuckled and pulled the Golbat into an embrace, gently caressing his wide back all the while. “It’s okay, don’t worry. Espy won’t hurt you. But it’s not good to be rude to others, okay?”

Surprisingly, the Golbat willingly snuggled up to her, his sharp eyes scrunching up in happiness at the physical affection he was receiving.

Nina swooned. “Aww… he was just lonely. That’s why he pulled all those pranks, he just wanted someone to pay attention to him.”

At that realization, Nina gently caressed the Golbat on the head, much to the Pokemon’s delight. “You know, Golbat. The reason why I came down here in the first place was so that I could find someone new to join my family.”

Golbat looked up at Nina with a curious gaze, before letting out another one of his creepy laughs. “Kukuku…”

Nina wasn’t sure how to interpret that response, so she asked Espy for help. The Espeon helped to relay everything that Nina said in the form of ideas and concepts directly into the Golbat’s mind.

“Just so happens, you’re exactly the sort of Pokemon I’m looking for.” Nina continued, prompting Espy to continue interpreting. “We’ll have to set a few ground rules about your pranks so you don’t end up getting us into trouble. But I can promise you that you won’t feel lonely ever again in our little family. What do you say?”

“Kukuku…” Golbat closed his eyes before looking around the cavern, as if deliberating his options. 

Nina did not rush him. This was his home after all. Who knows if he has a family or a cauldron to take care of or something. But eventually, the Golbat did return his gaze to Nina and gave her a curt nod in response, eliciting a bright smile from the girl.

Nina pulled her new Golbat in for a tight hug and smothered him with kisses. Probably a bad idea since wild Pokemon might carry all sorts of weird bacteria and viruses on their body. But she was too ecstatic to care.

Even Espy and Nairy cheered in celebration, despite the latter still being somewhat annoyed at the Golbat.

Nina asked Espy to grab a specific Pokeball from her tent; one with a green top decorated with red teardrops at the front. This was a Friend Ball, a special Pokeball variant that Nina purchased specifically for this capture that costed her a whopping 3,000 Pokedollars. 

It was times like these that Nina was glad that she fought tooth and nail to negotiate better terms with Violet instead of just letting herself be jerked around from one money making scheme to another.

In the games, it automatically sets any captured Pokemon’s friendship value to a specific number. The effects in real life were similar in that it does boost Pokemon friendliness, but Nina had no idea what the mechanics behind it were, since the people who invented it have an exclusive patent.

However, she did contact Bill and asked about it, and the Professor assured her that there were no mind control shenanigans going on. Rather, it was a modern iteration of a custom Apricorn Ball from Kurt, the renowned Pokeball Smith. Apparently there was a whole load of drama going on about plagiarism and a lawsuit, but Nina did not care about any of that. “If it works, it works.”

“Now we need to decide on a name for you, do you have any preferences?” Nina asked, only to receive a confused look from the Golbat.

“Hmm… Let’s see here, I was gonna name my Golbat Bruce if it was a male. But given his personality, wouldn’t Heath be more appropriate? Nah, Bruce is funnier, so let’s stick with that.”

“Alright Golbat, from now on you’re going to be named Brucey! Are you okay with that?”

“Kukuku…” Brucey replied with a laugh, which Nina took to be a yes. So she jumped in front of him and pulled him into another hug, this time joined by Nairy who coiled around them while Espy just shook her head in exasperation to the side.

After Nina explained to Golbat what a Pokeball was, she held out the Friend Ball in her palm and waited for the Golbat to engage, which he did by pressing the button with the edge of his wing.

A shake and a blink later, and the capture was complete. Nina jumped into the air and ran to embrace Nairy and Espy in celebration before releasing Golbat again. “Welcome to the family, Golbat!” The girl exclaimed, with her two other Pokemon crying out enthusiastically as well.

“That was… easy,” chimed Collin, who Nina had forgotten was still with them. “Is it always like that with you?”

Nina tilted her head in confusion. “I don’t really know what you mean? I suppose, yeah? Cause I only catch Pokemon who are willing to go with me. Brucey is the closest I’ve ever gotten to a forced capture.”

Collin smiled wryly and lightly shook his head. “Nevermind, I didn’t mean anything by it so no worries. Congratulations on your latest capture, by the way.”

“Thanks!”

Chapter 100.5: A Different Perspective

Ivy couldn’t stop her gaze from constantly wandering over to an ancient oak tree in the distance. It was the best spot to have lunch in the school’s scenic courtyard, but no one would dare to compete with its current occupants for the tree’s cool shades.

“Stop staring already, Ivy. You’re being a creep.” 

“I’m not being a creep!” Ivy exclaimed, her face flushed red in embarrassment.

“Yeah, yeah… How many times have you watched that video again? If you want an autograph then just go and ask for one, she’s not gonna bite your head off.”

Ivy glared at her friend, Hina. She was a jerk for constantly teasing her, but she was also the only person in Ivy’s year that would willingly befriend a shy introvert like her.

“You don’t get it! Do you have any idea how scary it is? I mean just look at who’s sitting around her,” said Ivy, as she subtly gestured towards the students sitting underneath the oak tree with their respective Pokemon. 

There was Kerry-Anne Joy, the student who ranked first in their year and also a member of the freaking Joy Clan. Then there was Justin Mayo, the first year representative for this year’s inter school meet who apparently handily beat all the other school’s first year reps and even some of the older reps as well. The boy was actually friendly enough, but his boundless enthusiasm towards everyone kind of made her feel super awkward around him.

But scariest of all was Lilian freaking Blackthorn, who for whatever reason started frequenting their school. Ivy still remembered how nervous Mr Smith, their history teacher, was when she first showed up in class, constantly raising her hand and correcting the man on whatever inaccuracies he made during his lecture. Poor guy sweated enough fluids to fill an entire pool.

Then last of all was Nina Jones, the coolest girl in class, Ivy’s beloved Aquarium Girl. Like Hina said, Ivy had been rewatching the surprise show she put on during Misty’s wedding every chance she got.

She even begged her little cousin in Cerulean City to buy a whole bunch of Aquarium Girl merch for her and mail it over. Her favorite was a keychain of Nina in her adorable Teddiursa ring bearer outfit, which she was carrying with her right this instant.

Ivy’s only regret was not getting her cousin to get Nina’s autograph for her copy of the album. A fact that the brat kept lording over her, saying that she got to shake hands with Aquarium Girl and even repeatedly sending Ivy the pictures that she took with her idol to rub it in her face.

“It’s not fair! I go to the same school as Nina. Why can’t I get an autograph and pictures too?” By all accounts, it should be easier for Ivy. But the girl was simply too shy to take any action. “What if she thinks I’m a creep just like Hina said? I’ll die from embarrassment!”

Hina sighed at her hyperventilating friend who looked like she was having an existential crisis. She looked over to the group of ‘cool kids’ and saw that Justin Mayo had stood up at one point and was pointing at Nina Jones in a ridiculous pose. “How in Arceus does he bend his body like that?” She thought.

No doubt the boy was trying to challenge the girl again. A common occurrence. And no doubt Nina would just deny him with the excuse that he was too weak, or so Hina thought. But surprisingly, Nina just laughed and nodded her head in agreement. “Oh do we get to see Justin get his ass kicked today?”

Hina shook Ivy to knock her friend out of her stupor. “Hey Ivy, snap out of it. Justin just challenged Nina to a battle.”

Ivy stopped her cursed mumblings and stared at her friend impassively. “So what? Nina never agrees to it.”

“Nah, look over. She said yes. I think she wants to try out her new Pokemon.” Hina found it weird that Nina had caught herself a creepy looking Golbat of all things. Given all her rare Pokemon and the fact that she was a mermaid, one would think that the girl would choose something more… aesthetic? Or maybe a Feebas, so that she could have a Milotic in the future.

Ivy instantly perked up at Hina’s words and eagerly looked over.

Hina chuckled. “Chill, they’re not gonna battle right now. Lunch break’s about to end. We’ll probably have to wait until after class.”

Ivy immediately wilted in disappointment, prompting Hina to shake her head at the fickle girl.

***

“Slow down, Ivy…”

Hina chased after her friend who rushed towards the gym after class.

“If we don’t get there first then all the good spots will be taken!” Ivy yelled.

Every one of Nina’s battles always drew a crowd, not because it was particularly exciting or anything since she won most of the time, if not with her Eevee then with that crazy strong Dragonair of hers. But because she would often give out advice and tips on battle tactics that were worth listening to. Even some of the teachers sneakily joined in sometimes to take notes.

Hina just sighed in exasperation. “Justin and Nina haven’t even left class yet…” Last she saw, their two classmates were still joking around and leisurely chatting in class.

As expected, the two girls were the first to arrive, outside of the students who had just wrapped up with P.E. They picked a spot and just waited, not even knowing which arena the two battlers were going to use.

It took another ten minutes for Justin and Nina to arrive, casually strutting into the place and taking positions at a random arena that was furthest away from them. So Hina and Ivy ended up having to move anyway, much to the latter’s despair as she couldn’t get to the front row.

As usual for Nina’s more casual matches, Kerry was refereeing. The girl counted them down in her soft voice and waved her hand down to signal the start of the battle.

The two trainers each sent out their newest captures; Scyther for Justin and Golbat for Nina.

“Go, Scyther! Let’s show everyone how hard you’ve trained!” Justin yelled, boisterous as ever.

Meanwhile, Nina was as calm as usual. “Alright Brucey, this is your first battle. So let’s try to do what we discussed the other day.”

Brucey the Golbat took to the skies and began flying around in a jerky motion. Just looking at the bat Pokemon made Hina and Ivy dizzy from how chaotic his flight pattern was. 

In response, Justin’s Scyther began vibrating its wings and slowly took off from the ground in pursuit. The Bug Pokemon’s Scythe arm glowed as it slash down at the Golbat, but was unable to catch his opponent from his constant juking.

The Scyther looked overwhelmed as he hovered in midair, jerking his head around in an attempt to predict the wily Golbat’s flight patterns.

“Use Leer, Scyther! Try to slow him down.”

“Kukuku…” But before Scyther could execute his order, a creepy sounding laugh could be heard from Nina’s Golbat, taunting the Scyther and causing him to continue swiping at the air in rage.

“Dammit! Fury Swipes! Keep going until you hit!”

At this point Nina’s face took on a sinister look. One that sent chills down Hina’s spine. “How’s a girl like that supposed to be a mermaid?” Meanwhile Ivy also felt chills down her spine, but of a different variety as she panted with her face flushed, eliciting a look of disgust from Hina.

While Scyther was letting out a fury of swipes at the general vicinity of Nina's Golbat, a high pitched whining noise began to be emitted from the Golbat, bombarding his opponent with non-stop Supersonic waves from all directions as he continued to weave around the Bug Pokemon. Eventually overwhelming Scyther enough that his eyes began swirling.

Justin watched in despair as his Scyther wavered in his flight, before eventually faltering and falling to the ground. “Get up, Scyther! It’s not over yet! I believe in you!” The boy yelled.

At this point, Nina took something out of her pocket and shoved it in her ears. “Alright Brucey, remember what Espy taught you about Hyper Voice? Let’s give it a try shall we.”

At his trainer’s words, Golbat put a stop to his seizure-inducing flight and pointed his face towards the grounded Scyther, before taking in a deep breath to let out a grating sound akin to nails on chalkboard.

Hina and Ivy along with all the rest of the audience covered their ears in pain, feeling like someone was scooping their brains out with a scrapper.

Meanwhile, Nina just casually stood there with earplugs in her ears. “Hmm…” She hummed. “That was Screech, not Hyper Voice. But no worries, you did your best. Thanks for trying Brucey. Now let’s wake Scyther up with a bit of pain shall we.”

“Kukuku…” The blushing Golbat laughed as he began conjuring blades of wind around him and pelting the helpless Scyther with it.

“Shield yourself with your blades and get up, Scyther!”

Scyther did as he was told, fighting through the confusion, raising his Scythe arms to try and mitigate some of the damage.

“Hmm… Not bad,” said Nina. “But one thing you need to understand, Jillian. Scythers aren’t tanks, their greatest strength lies in their speed. That said, a bit of defense in case of emergencies won’t hurt. I’ll refer you to a good TM shop, so you should go pick up Protect for your Pokemon.”

With that advice out of the way, Nina then asked Justin to surrender. “Brucey doesn’t have any good finishers at the moment but he can easily go in with a Poison Fang and stall his way to victory. I don’t want to bother Kerry too much and I think you’ve already learned what you can out of this match, so no point continuing.”

Justin started protesting, but Kerry just ignored him and ended the match on his behalf. This was a casual spar after all, so no need to be too uptight.

Next came the part that everyone had been waiting for. Hina glanced over and saw Ivy taking out her own notebook to take notes, a quirk that she picked up in an attempt to mimic her idol.

“Right, going back to what I was saying about Scyther’s strength being his speed,” Nina began. “Your Scyther might be a Flying type, but due to his body proportions, he’s actually not a very competent flyer. If anything, his wings serve as supportive appendages more than anything else. So trying to compete in mid air with a dedicated flyer like a Golbat is a mistake.”

Justin groaned. “So what? Are you saying I should have used a different Pokemon?”

Nina shook her head at the boy's pessimism. “No. Like I said, his wings help to support his capabilities and is what will allow a predominantly melee Pokemon like Scyther to take on ranged flyers. You just have to be smart about it.”

Before going any further though, Nina did suggest that Justin teach his Scyther Air Slash, just so that he would have some ranged options if it came down to it.

“With that out of the way, let’s go back to talking speed. I noticed you didn’t tell your Scyther to use Quick Attack during that whole match. Why?”

Justin grumbled. “I mean, it’s like you said, right? Scyther isn’t the best flyer, so he can’t use Quick Attack in the air, and your Golbat never landed so…”

Nina shook her head in disappointment. “Quick Attack can also be used vertically, kid. You just gotta train for it.”

“What do you mean?” asked the skeptical Justin.

Instead of replying, Nina simply released her regal looking Espeon with an intricate looking metal collar on her neck. 

Looking at the beautiful Eeveelution really made Hina jealous, Eevee has always been her favorite Pokemon. “One day, I’m gonna become mega rich and get an Eevee of my own.” She vowed.

Ivy smiled at her friend and gave her an encouraging pat. 

“Hey Espy,” Nina called out to her Espeon in a courteous tone. “Do you mind showing off your air strats to Justin and Scyther?”

“Es.” The regal Espeon cried as she got up on all fours and did a light stretch of her body. Then with a yawn, the Espeon very deliberately lowered herself into a crouching position, before suddenly shooting off into the air in a blur of pink, too fast for anyone to follow. But it didn’t just end there.

The moment that Nina’s Espeon reached the air, a small purple barrier emerged in her path, which she elegantly flipped her body to land on horizontally, using it as a temporary foothold for another Quick Attack in a different direction. Then stopping again when another barrier appeared, launching the Espeon in another blur. And again, and again.

The crowd all gasped in awe at the mastery of Quick Attack and Psychic control being demonstrated in front of them as the pink Eeveelution zigged and zagged and bounced around like she was dashing in the air. Even doing flips and tricks mid air just to show off to the crowd, eliciting giggles from Nina.

“Alright Espy, that’s good enough. You can come back down now,” said the girl as she rewarded her now grounded Espeon with Berries and affectionate cuddles.

“Now I know Scyther can’t create barriers like Espy can,” continued Nina. “But one thing he does have that Espy doesn’t is wings. You’re a smart boy, Julius. I’m sure you can figure out something similar using your Scyther’s strengths.” 

“It’s Justin!” The boy exclaimed. But Hina could tell from his grin and the look in his eyes, that her classmate was all fired up to work harder. And he wasn’t the only one either, she could also see that everyone around her was suddenly feeling motivated after that incredible display, and she was no exception.

“Did you see that, Hina?! That was so cool!” Ivy exclaimed. The girl looked like she was ready to worship the ground on which her idol walked.

Hina chuckled at her friend and gave the girl a pat on the head.  “Of course I did, you Psyduck. Everyone did. So you should buckle up and go ask for that autograph already.”

“What does that have to do with anything?!” yelled the flustered Ivy, to which Hina just laughed in response.

***

Author's note:

Be honest with me here guys, is there too much glazing in that bonus chapter? I really hesitated in releasing it because I worry it might be too much.

Also, to @PlasmaticPi, I have Noibat marked for a different character hence why that was never an option for Nina. I didn't reply to you last time because I didn't want to risk spoiling anything.